To state the reasonably obvious, the usefulness of information about blogging which you find on the ‘net is depends whether you’re a newcomer or an old hand. But you know what: most of the core principles remain the bedrock of your blog from when you learn the ropes to when you’re rolling-out your 10th/20th/100th site.

How to create a blog and then a blog that lasts is more pertinent. In this article, we get our hands dirty.

A randomly ordered list of our top 50 points would serve some some. But we’re a little serious about this, so have gone for a “chronological thought map”, to the extent possible. Read it, absorb it, if you like it, bookmark it, digg it, stumble it, carrier pigeon it

OK LET’s DO IT – HERE ARE POINTS 1 TO 10:

1. For most of you, use Wordpress. Just use it! No, we don’t make money from selling it Quite simply, having wide experience of the well-known platforms (including the hell, let’s just code our own blog on a site from scratch ), it’s the best in our experience. Obviously there are tools for ‘big corporate’ blogs/intranets – we understand that and it’s out of the scope of this particular post.  Learn how to use Wordpress before really getting into this whole thing.  If you don’t, and you skip to, say, point 50(!) of this 50 point list – you’ll wish you hadn’t.

2. Plan your blog in multiple stages. Brainstorm it before you dive in. Use a tool like NovaMind. It has really been the bedrock of many planning stages for us.

3. Sanity check over a decent period (at least 7 days from your final planning stage). What do we mean? Well, would you read and use the damn thing? Is it just for you? Does it add value for others? Is it easy to use?  How often will you write? What will it actually do?  Obvious?…  apparently not to 95% of bloggers.

4. Choose a topic which inspires you or, at least in some way, will get you out of bed in the morning.  If you find this concept difficult to understand or find it otherwise obtuse, don’t proceed. Do something else and don’t waste your time.

5. Brainstorm your own domain name (don’t use Wordpress-etc. provided hosting) and buy it, associating it with your own hosting plan.  Preferably buy it for at least 5 years (there is an SEO reason, here – contained in another post on ClubBlogger; but also a self-motivational reason). You need your own image, a profile a presence.  Many will scream – “are you serious? this is small time for me and why would I do that now?”  Hmmm.  We wholeheartedly disagree: reach for the stars and you might hit the moon.  Do it properly from the “G” of “GO”.

6. Keep it simple.  At least to start.  Find a good, clean, simple Wordpress template and do everything simply.  Really.

7. Understand SEO – now. It is not geeky. It is not nonsense. It will help to keep your blog breathing. You don’t want the damn thing in the E.R. before its first birthday  Unless you are an amazingly interesting person about whom everyone wants to read, or you have a runaway phenomenon blog, this topic, along with some others, is key in how you think about your blog content and structure from this point going forward. That’s if you want anyone to read it, of course

8. Partially linked to point 7: dig into and understand the various plug-ins in Wordpress (e.g., the various SEO plugins) which will help you build your blog without you worrying about those after the event. Get all the help you can from the Wordpress community without having spent hours thinking “how the hell do I do that” beforehand.  Wordpress is a great tool: the plugins make it awesome.

9. Ascertain, early and via a good hard think with a cold towel on your head, whether you want to make money from your blog. It’s not an obvious question and, when it has been asked, it has no obvious answer. If you do, figure out how. If it’s AdSense that is your big plan, crunch the numbers, understanding the traffic needs and the AdSense figures/system before you carry on (ClubBlogger’s various AdSense posts are here). Seriously, work it out – drill down. If you want to make money from this baby, it’s a business. Write a business plan (even a basic one). Keep the plan handy and read it at least once a week.

10. Read lots of other blogs.  Really get in there.  Topic relevant or not, do it.  Learn from the mistakes and developments of others.  That’s just life.  The only people who’ve never failed are those who never tried.

OK, guys, well they’re points 1 to 10.  The next chronological ten will follow very soon, taking you into the “really get started” phase and much further beyond.

Speak soon.